Few things could soften the gruff exterior of Archie Bunker like his “little girl” Gloria. Carroll O’Connor’s portrayal of the irascible, beer-drinking working man from Queens ruled the Bunker household with an iron fist on “All in the Family.” Archie often clashed with his son-in-law Mike (Rob Reiner) over their divergent beliefs and rarely hesitated to bulldoze over his patient wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton). Edith’s rare but satisfying moments of standing up to Archie were memorable and rewarding.
However, if anyone could bring out Archie’s gentler side without much effort, it was Gloria (Sally Struthers). She inherited her mother’s sweetness and her father’s stubborn streak, making her both a worthy adversary for Archie and someone he cared for deeply beneath his bluster. Their arguments were frequent, but as Archie famously told Gloria on her wedding day, she was “still [his] little girl and always will be.”
The bond between O’Connor and Struthers extended beyond the screen. In a 2021 interview with Closer Weekly commemorating the show’s 50th anniversary, Struthers reflected on their off-camera relationship:
“In 1968, my own father passed away. I was still feeling bad and fatherless when I got this show. Carroll and his wife, Nancy, turned out to be as parental with me as he was in the show. Carroll gave me advice, he laughed at my antics, he hugged me all the time — and he introduced me to my husband [William Rader]! So I gained a father again by doing that show.”
“All in the Family” Was Personal for Struthers
Struthers, Reiner, and Stapleton were ready to move on from “All in the Family” before O’Connor, not out of disdain for the show but due to a sense of completion with their characters. They returned to help the O’Connor-led sequel series, “Archie Bunker’s Place,” in its early seasons. Struthers even headlined a short-lived spinoff, “Gloria.” Despite the fleeting nature of her time reprising Gloria, Struthers remained close to O’Connor and Stapleton for the rest of their lives. Revisiting the series is still emotional for her today.
When asked about filming the show’s final episode, Struthers shared:
“Yes. It was emotional, but it wasn’t sad. I didn’t have any idea at the time how much I would miss it. Whenever I see an episode on TV now, I stop for a second, but as soon as I see Carroll or Jean, I get so sad that I have to change the channel.”
Struthers’ genuine affection for her onscreen parents and her “Meathead” manifested in their chemistry on the show. This bond was crucial to “All in the Family,” a show that pushed boundaries like no American comedy series before it. The heart provided by its cast kept viewers returning, regardless of their political alignment with the characters. Even now, Struthers’ reflections on O’Connor reveal that Archie’s “little girl” continues to bring out his softer side.
